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Before Using
In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:
Allergies
Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.
Pediatric
Use of tamsulosin in children is not recommended.
Geriatric
Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of tamsulosin in the elderly.
Pregnancy
| Pregnancy Category | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|
| All Trimesters | B | Animal studies have revealed no evidence of harm to the fetus, however, there are no adequate studies in pregnant women OR animal studies have shown an adverse effect, but adequate studies in pregnant women have failed to demonstrate a risk to the fetus. |
Breastfeeding
There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.
Drug Interactions
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
- Acebutolol
- Alprenolol
- Atenolol
- Betaxolol
- Bevantolol
- Bisoprolol
- Bucindolol
- Carteolol
- Carvedilol
- Celiprolol
- Cimetidine
- Dilevalol
- Esmolol
- Labetalol
- Levobunolol
- Mepindolol
- Metipranolol
- Metoprolol
- Nadolol
- Nebivolol
- Oxprenolol
- Penbutolol
- Pindolol
- Propranolol
- Sildenafil
- Sotalol
- Tadalafil
- Talinolol
- Tertatolol
- Timolol
- Vardenafil
Other Interactions
Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.
Other Medical Problems
The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
- Cataract surgery—An eye problem called Intraoperative Floppy Iris Syndrome (IFIS) has occurred in patients who are taking or who have recently taken this medicine when they are having cataract surgery. You should tell your ophthalmologist (eye doctor) before your surgery if you are taking or have taken tamsulosin in the past 9 months.
- Kidney disease or
- Liver disease—Effects may be increased because of slower removal of the medicine from the body.
- Postural hypotension (low blood pressure) or
- Priapism (painful or prolonged erection of the penis) or
- Prostate cancer—Use with caution. May make these conditions worse.
- Sulfa drug (antibiotics such as sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim [e.g., Bactrim®, Septra®]) allergy—An allergic reaction to tamsulosin has been rarely reported in patients with sulfa allergy. If you have ever had a serious or life-threatening sulfa allergy, you should tell your doctor before taking tamsulosin.
